Copyreading

Bernadette F. Tamayo

July 10, 2008, tabloid

WATER SAMPLINGKumuha ng sample ng tubig mula

sa bahaging nilubugan ng MV Princess of the Stars ang mga Coast Guard biologists upang

suriin. (AFP)

DAVAO BLOOMSThe streets of Davao burst into colors that the rains failed to wash during the city’s celebration of the annual Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival. Street performers, like these students, turned the city’s roads into a stage to thank the heavens for the bountiful harvests. - PDI, Aug. 18, 2004

» Corrections PDI August 19, 2004» IN YESTERDAY’S issue, the caption of a front-page

photo misstated the location of the staging of the Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival. The staging was held on the campus of the Centro Escolar University in Manila – not the streets of Davao City.

COPYREADING & HEADLINE WRITING

Copyreading is editing the copy by the use of appropriate symbols.

A copy is the typewritten material submitted to the encoder for typesetting.

Proofreading is correction of errors in galley or page proofs by the use of proofreading symbols.

A galley proof is a long, narrow proof pulled from type on a galley.

Preparing the copy

Type on one side of the sheet , double space. Identify the story on the first page with a slugline : the name of the paper

»words identifying the story»the reporter»the date

Indent at least five spaces each paragraph. Type the word More at the bottom of each page

except the last, which is marked with 30 or #.

The copyThe copyThe RepublicEnrolment increases by 2%Yasmin TamayoJune 25

The students enrolled at Marcelo H.

del Pilar National high School (MHPNHS)

increased by 2%.

More

Tips for Polishing Copy You should be the reader's advocate in

improving the story. Every change you make should improve a story. If it doesn't improve the story, it's not worth your time.

What's the story about? Ask what the story is about and what's the point.

If you can't answer these two distinct questions, the reader surely won't know. The story may need some more work by the writer to provide a stronger focus. If you know what the story is about and what the point is, ask yourself whether the lead reflects that understanding. If not, the story may need revision.

The copyThe copyThe RepublicEnrolment increases by 2%Yasmin TamayoJune 25

The students enrolled at Marcelo H.

del Pilar National high School (MHPNHS)

increased by two percent from last year’s

11,340 to 12,627 this school year. More

Tips for Polishing Copy

What's the news? Ask yourself what the news is. Is it high enough in the story? If you're pulling your headline from the sixth paragraph, consider whether that should be the lead.

Try to make fun of the story.Does it contain any obvious statements that will draw a "duh!" from the reader? Does it have any awkward double meaning?

The Craft of Copy Editing Collaborate with Reporters

Too often copy editors and reporters are viewed as adversaries rather than collaborators. The best copy editors work with reporters to improve their stories and ensure accuracy.

Respect the writer's authorship. However good or bad a story is, the writer is the author. The writer's name goes on the story. The writer will hear any feedback from the public about the story. The editor should always try to consult the writer about significant changes and should try to make changes in the writer's voice and style.

The Craft of Copy Editing Respect the writer's knowledge.

Before you change a fact in the story, check with the writer, even if the writer isn't readily available. You may check your clips or another resource and be quite sure the writer has made an error. Changing facts without consulting the reporter invites corrections and animosity.

Consult about headlines. Run your headline past the reporter if time allows. Maybe you've missed the point of the story (in which case, maybe the reporter needs to make the point clearer). The reporter can help prevent a headline that is inaccurate, or potentially offensive.

The Craft of Copy Editing

This advice from Pisetzner: "Make friends, particularly with the reporters.

Wander over at the start of your shift, compliment them on pieces they wrote, talk shop when they have a minute. Tell them why you made a change; try to look regretful if they disapprove. Claw away at that stone wall between natural adversaries. Build trust. After a while, it's amazing how much leeway they'll give you as you try to do your job properly."

The Craft of Copy Editing And this advice from Perlman: "An editor needs to be able to explain what the

problem is and propose a solution, not just cite 'rules.' If there's no time on deadline, do it the next day, or leave a note. When reporters and higher-ups see that a copy editor is paying attention to the content, and cares not just about what the reporter got wrong but also about what the reader might not understand and carefully and logically points it out, they may listen.

The copy editor

The duty of editing falls chiefly on the editor in chief who sits at the head of the copy desk with his copyreaders.

The most essential function

of a copy editor is to watch for mistakes.

He is the last line of defense, what gets past the copy desk gets into the paper.

Copy editor’s job

FOLLOWS STYLE RULES

Makes sure the story conforms to the newspaper stylebook or style sheet for consistency.

Is it enrolment or enrollment? Per cent or percent?

Are months in given dates abbreviated or not?

Copy editor’s job CHECKS FACTS Checks names, titles

addresses, designations, identifications, etc.

Rechecks figures and totals.

Challenges facts, claims or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and incredible

Does the story cite a semestral study grant of P12,000.00 and provide figures itemized as P2,500.00 for tuition, P7,000.00 for books and P3,500.00 for lodging?

Is it Mr. Roxas or Rojas? Willie Salvador or Willie Sy Alvarado?

Copy editor’s job

CHECKS SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

Straightens out ungrammatical constructions.

Checks spelling and punctuation.

Checks sentence construction

Almost all sentences in the story should be in the active voice, not passive.

The editor changes this sentence: Suggestions is offered by the Student Counsel to _______ _________________.

Copy editor’s job CHECKS ORGANIZATION

Rewrites the lead

when necessary. Cuts a story to size

or to the required

length. Shortens sentences

and tightens

paragraphs if need be.

Does the article play up the feature or most important fact of the story?

Is something mentioned in the lead but not mention again or elaborated until the eight paragraph?

Copy editor’s job

CHECKS EDITORIALIZING

Watches out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.

Deletes all opinions, speculations and statements which are without sources.

Cross out adjectives in news items.

The reader must know whose opinion is being expressed. Some reporters provide attribution in the lead and then never mention the source again.The editor puts in all the necessary “he said,” “she pointed out,” “he added,”

Copy editor’s job CHECKS

LIBELOUS TEXT

Watches out for libelous or derogatory statements.(Truth is not an excuse for libel, with ill motive behind)

Checks attributions and see that they are properly identified.

Tuwing hahagikhik si Kris to a suggestive question ni Boy, ang nagpa-flash sa tao ay hindi sweet girl kundi “may STD ‘to, “may STD ‘to, may STD ‘to.” Sa dami ng lalaking inaamin niyang naging konektado sa kanya, minsan maiisip mo, sa pinaggagawa niya, desrve naman niyang magka-STD eh. - Abante

Copyreading Symbols

The copy editor does not erase anything in the article but only makes use of copyreading symbols to suggest the necessary corrections or changes.

At the end of the article, the editor writes # to suggest end of the storyOr more to mean the article is lacking in

information

When all the corrections have been made, the copy

editor goes over the story one more time, reading it for sense, for total effect rather than mechanical problems. The editor takes the role of the reader and asks: “Are all the questions answered? Is it clear? Easy to read?

Then he is ready to write the headline.

COPYREAD USING SYMBOLSCOPYREAD USING SYMBOLS•

MANILA, Philippines - A 16-years-old

in coming high school senior wins the covet

English Speaking Union’s (EUSU) International

Public Speaking Competition last friday onn

London.

Dapul’s fiveminute speech entitled, “Fish

mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how

scientific research could served as a cure-all

for many of the world’s problem

Gian Carlo Dapul, a cute student at the

Philippines Science High School bested almost

sixty participant from 35 countries withthe

competitions’ theme, Frontiers New.”

COPYREAD USING SYMBOLSCOPYREAD USING SYMBOLS

• MANILA, Philippines - A 16

years-old in coming highschool

senior wins the covet English

English Speaking Union’s

(EUSU) International

Public Speaking Competition

last friday onn London.

COPYREAD USING SYMBOLSCOPYREAD USING SYMBOLS

Dapul’s fiveminute speech

entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot

Fungus” focused on how

scientific research could served

as a cure-all for many of the

world’s problem

COPYREAD USING SYMBOLSCOPYREAD USING SYMBOLS

•Gian Carlo Dapul, a cute

student at the Philippines

Science High School bested

almost sixty participant from

35 countries with the

competitions’ theme, Frontiers

New.”

His speech also went well with judges for its oft-humorous lines.

For instance, while speaking about the “most expensive coffee in the world” which is gathered from the droppings of a civet cat, Dapul asked, “So, who’s had coffee with their breakfast?”

“If only we could make science fairs and contests as popular as the thriving ‘Pop Idol’ franchise. Although I’m not sure if Simon Cowell’s sardonic comments will sit well with my peers,’ he added in his speech.

MANILA, Philippines - A 16-year-oldincoming high school senior won the coveted English Speaking Union’s (ESU) International Public Speaking Competition last Friday in London.

Gian Carlo Dapul, a student at the PhilippineScience High School bested almost 60participants from 35 countries with the competition’s theme, “New Frontiers.”

Dapul’s five-minute speech entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how scientific research could serve as a cure-all for many of the world’s problems.

more